To Sheldon
Re: Trump supporters.
Sheldon, your comments on the Electoral College are well supported. As any student of Constitution Law will see there are many clauses from 1787 that do not apply today. That is why scholars opine that the Constitution is a living document that creates and expands and yes even contracts through our history to better deal with human frailties.
Women did not have the right to vote for over 100 years plus. Breathe out. Slavery abolished. Breathe out. Nazis allowed to March in Skokie, Illinois. Breathe in. Citizen’s United. Breathe in. When one group feels like we should not breathe any longer that is contrary to what our founding fathers attempted to design. These are simple basic ideas (TRUTHS ) designed to absorb the trials, tribulations, and vicissitudes anticipated by these founders after long considering the failures of past governments such as the Roman Empire.
Lou Vigorita
Dear Sheldon,I would like to commend yourself and The Ventura Breeze for taking a stand to comment on the lame decision-making by our current President. Isn’t that what a free press is about? He is an unfortunate and dangerous politician because he puts His businesses ahead of The People. We see evidence of this daily. I just hope the investigations trying to uncover the truth about who he is and what he has been doing are released to All the American electorate. Then let them judge. A Democracy is only as good as the People.
Suzanna Ballmer, Ventura
Suzanna:
Who am I to disagree with a smart person like you?
Sheldon
Editor:
I’m wondering how long it will be before CalTrans corrects their mistake on the NB Main Street exit from the US101 and CA126?
After the repaving work, the re-striping of the off ramp did not include the original limit line but did include the crosswalk. The sensors to trip the signal have been moved to past the original limit line. This causes vehicles to go all the way to the crosswalk and can’t see the traffic signal above them.
When I went to the CalTrans website to report this issue, the robot recognized that an issue had been previously reported at this location.
Maybe CalTrans will get around to fixing it someday. In the meantime drivers will be craning their neck to see the traffic signal. Or stop before the main sensor and wait forever.
Tim Hansen
Ventura
Sheldon:
In response to a reader, you wrote on February 13th: “Don’t you think whoever gets the most votes should win?” and followed with arguments against the Electoral College.
You ask how something passed in 1787 could have any application today, citing population changes. Every provision of the Constitution, as amended and interpreted, has applied to every legal precept in the United States throughout the intervening 232 years. The justification for the Electoral College is founded on principles, not population.
You offer the standard argument against the College, which is that it is inequitable, with the votes in some states “meaning more” or being “more important” than those in another. This is true and the Founders were well aware of it, but adopted the provision for many good reasons. You’ll note that there is no mention of “democracy” anywhere in the Declaration or the Constitution, for good reason: the Founders intended to establish a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. They did not want the floating whims of a majority to jeopardize the rights of every other person, nor a perpetual floating tally of who determines, interprets or implements the Law of the Land.
Bear in mind that this is the United States of America, drawing its claim to sovereignty from each and all of the colonies (later states). The structure of the Electoral College is a direct result of the guarantee of equality “among the states”, with each having exactly two votes in the U.S. Senate. The Constitution might have never been adopted otherwise. The Electoral College is simply determined by adding the number of representatives and senators for each state. That is the fairest way to have equity in both the general population and all of the states in determining the presidency.
Bill Westmiller
Bill: Thank you for your explanation but I still don’t like it. Keep your comments coming please, what our country is all about.
Sheldon
The first pull on the cord will always send the drapes the wrong way.
~ Charles P. Boyle
